


Comfort

by TyrantLizardKing



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Romance, new ship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:29:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28116198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TyrantLizardKing/pseuds/TyrantLizardKing
Summary: Cloud Strife has a lot on his mind after failing to stop Shinra from collapsing the upper city and destroying half of AVALANCHE. But there is someone to help him through his troubles. My first foray into CloTi.
Relationships: Cloud Strife & Tifa Lockhart
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	Comfort

He stared up at the sky, one hand on his hip. So much had been lost in a matter of minutes, just to get rid of him and his friends. How sick could some people be? To wipe out the slums for the sake of eliminating a few enemies...he hadn’t even gotten to know Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie for very long, and now they were gone forever. 

It had happened to him again, losing people close to him. It wasn’t fair. All he could do was continue moving forward as he always had; the only thing always behind him being his Buster Sword.

He only had two people left at his side currently, and he would  _ not _ lose them too.

Cloud sighed at how much thinking he’d been doing. Some comfort would be nice...

“Shinra…” Barret’s burly voice next to him mumbled. “When I get my hands on ‘em, there won’t be nuthin’ left.”

The two of them were standing outside of Aerith’s house, waiting for Tifa to join them. It was evening in the sector, the moonlight working with many street lamps to keep the residents aware.

“How you holdin’ up, Cloud?” Barret snuffed.

“I’m fine.”

“Sure ‘bout that? I know you’re a stiff guy an’ all, but that scrunched look on your face tells more.”

Only Cloud’s eyes moved to look at Barret’s. “I have some things on my mind, is all.”

His massive friend patted him on the shoulder; any more force and he probably would have broken it. “You know kid, when I hired you for that first job, I saw you as just some punk who thought he was hotter than everyone else. But you know what?”

“What?”

“I’ve since learned that you got a warm heart in that cold body of yours. I see the way you protect people you care about, no matter how dangerous it may be.”

“I just do what’s right.” Cloud shrugged.

“Keep it that way, son.” Barret stretched himself out a little. “I seen a lot of fools try and be the baddest asses they could. Know where they are now?”

“Dead, I’ll bet.”

“You got it.”

Cloud was wondering what the point of this conversation was. Barret seemed to be warming up to him, and the man wasn’t sure how that made him feel.

Finally, Tifa exited the house after Elmrya promised she would relocate Marlene and herself somewhere else where the Turks couldn’t find them. “Sorry to make you guys wait.”

“Don’t worry.” Cloud replied to her with full eye contact. “Ready to go?”

“About that…” Tifa motioned for them to start walking back to town, “...we should find a place to rest first. We’re all exhausted from fighting to defend the tower; chasing Shinra in the state we’re in now would be unwise.”

_ A place to rest?  _ Cloud thought as Barret badgered about taking the fight to Shinra now.  _ Didn’t I see an inn somewhere? _

“Follow me.” Cloud picked up the pace, heading for the town’s local inn. “I know where we can go.”

\------

“Would you like to stay the night? It’s just ten gil.”

“We need the rest.” Cloud slid the money across the counter to the clerk, who happily accepted.

“Thank you. You two-“ she pointed to Cloud and Tifa “-may use our couples suite. And your friend can have one of our larger beds.”

“Couples suite?” Tifa asked. 

“You look like quite the pair.” The clerk giggled. “Make yourselves comfortable, we don’t get many people outside of our sector. I’m sure all of you are shaken by the accident.”

“Damn right about that.” Barret grumbled. “It’s all Shinra’s fault!”

“Shinra? I heard it was those AVALANCHE ruffians who were responsible for it.”

“No way! W-  _ They  _ would never do nuthin’ like that!” Barret swung his gun arm in apparent fury, getting worked up again.

“Calm down Barret.” Tifa spoke to him calmly. “Go relax a little; Marlene is safe with Elmyra. You fought hard earlier, take some time for yourself now.”

“...okay.” He drew a breath in through his big lips, then laughed. “Have fun in your couples suite! Haha!” And he stomped down the hall to get a place for himself.

“Interesting fellow.” The clerk commented to a quiet Cloud. *ahem* “Your room is just to your left there.”

“Thank you.” Tifa nodded. “Come on, Cloud.”

“Coming.”

\------

Once the door was shut, Tifa observed the two beds. One had a blue cover, while the other was pink.

“Hmm…”

“You want the pink one?” Cloud asked.

“Actually…” Tifa sat down proudly on the blue bed’s edge. “...I’ll take this one, and you can have the pink bed.” She kicked her legs happily.

“...Alright.” Cloud set the Buster Sword down against the wall before marching over to his place of rest. He lay down on the bed, taking care to remove his boots before finding some relaxation. Or so he hoped.

“Mmm…” Tifa was quick to get settled in. The beds were quite close to each other- enough that she wondered if they could…? Turning over, Tifa noticed her partner staring up at the ceiling, arms folded behind his head. “You’re thinking about Aerith, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.” He replied, turning to meet her gaze. “I know Shinra won’t hurt her, but it’s not fair that she wound up in our mess by happenstance.”

Tifa’s expression changed to one of reassurance. “I don’t think she has any regrets. She was able to reunite us and save Marlene. I haven’t known her long, but I can tell that Aerith’s a strong girl.”

Cloud remained quiet, apparently thinking over her words. The lamp in the room was still on, despite the time. Barret could already be heard snoring elsewhere in the building.

“Cloud…”

“Yeah?”

“What’s really bothering you?” Tifa asked, with a bit more interest included in her tone.

“...” Cloud stumbled to find his answer when he looked more closely at his childhood friend. The two of them had grown up considerably into fine adults, but Tifa had still seen fit to mention that promise of theirs from their youth. Could he yet fulfill it someday?

“Cloud?”

As it turns out, there was something he had kept from her. “Um...I got hurt while we were fighting Reno.”

“What?! Where?!” Tifa exclaimed.

The young man pointed to his left arm, where a burn mark from Reno’s electric baton had been created. 

“Let me look at it.”

“It’s fine.”

“ _ No,  _ it’s not.” Determinably Tifa moved on over to Cloud’s bed, gently taking his arm in her hands. She had removed her fighting gloves and left them hanging on his Buster Sword. Having thrown numerous punches today, her palms were still warm. 

Cloud wanted to say something, but his voice seemed to have deserted him for the moment. Tifa carefully looked over the burn mark before releasing him. “It could have been a lot worse. I guess you have your SOLDIER training to thank for surviving that.”

“Yeah.” Was all he could say now that she was closer to him. 

“But that’s still not the truth.” Tifa’s hands found themselves on her waist. 

“Mm…” Cloud sat up, the two of them eye-level now. “You’re determined to find out.”

“Why won’t you tell me?” She asked sadly.

Cloud chose his next words carefully. “Because I think you already know.”

Tifa looked away from her partner to think. Moments later, she embraced him.

“Tifa?”

“God, Cloud, why are you like this?”

“I…just am.” He was a little taken aback currently; hugs from Tifa were nothing new, but this one felt different. Comforting, warm, accepting even. 

“We’re in a private room. You can loosen up a little.” Her tone was soothing, inviting in a careful way.

He took it to heart, and Tifa felt his body slowly relax. The man was often tense, on edge and always ready to swing his sword at a new threat. In here, though, there was nothing of the sort; only a close friend who perhaps meant something more. 

Hesitantly, Cloud spoke up again. “...Can we lie down together?”

Tifa giggled. “Of course.” On the pink bed the pair lay together; Tifa managed to wrap one of her hands around Cloud’s without resistance. She turned her neck so that her head rested in the crook of his own, quite happy.

Cloud was still having trouble finding words to say here. He racked his brain until something finally came to him. “Hey, about earlier, when we were at Don Corneo’s place…”

“Hm?”

“When...when he invited you into his room...I got worried.” His breathing grew a little heavier. 

“Cloud…”

He bit his lip. “I had to fight off those maniacs first and then get Aerith, but the whole time I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

She smiled at his honesty. “You know I can take care of myself.”

“I do. But that doesn’t mean I don’t worry.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that you haven’t lost your spirit.” Her hand tightened around his a little more, with him responding in kind. “Did you like my dress?”

Quick was he to say “Y-Yeah. You were stunning in it.” It felt good to get these things off of his chest.

“Thanks. I was hoping to get the proper attention of Don Corneo’s men, but then was wondering if I got a little carried away.” She giggled again. 

“No. You’ve always loved dressing up.” Cloud found himself smiling a little. “Ever since we were kids, you’d put on a nice skirt and show it to me.”

“And every single time, you told me you loved it.” 

Now his smile curled into a smirk. “I was just being honest.”

Happily, Tifa snuggled up right next to him now. Cloud felt his face getting a bit red, yet no part of him wanted to object. Tifa wasn’t being pushy or obnoxious about her advances; in fact Cloud hadn’t objected at all to them being directed towards the couples suite. She was just so comforting for him to be around, always sincere with her actions.

He did like Tifa after all. More than he knew, it seems.

Their hands remained intertwined, even as Tifa reached over to turn off the lamp. “May I stay with you tonight?” She asked quietly in the encroaching darkness as the light dimmed out.

Cloud felt full relaxation now. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” And the pair slept together soundly that evening, the scars of recent conflicts giving them peace for the time being. Many challenges lay ahead of them still, and they would face them together.

Just as they had since childhood.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. I just started playing the original Final Fantasy 7 for my first time less than a week ago (Sephiroth in Smash convinced me to finally give it a go) and quickly became swept up in the pairing of Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart. This idea came to me as I ended a session; pulled out my phone to get the first draft down before bed. I hope to publish more of these in the future as I continue the game (and hopefully get my hands on Remake eventually).
> 
> Special thanks to 04JETTA for editing.


End file.
